


The Unending Path

by myarmada



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, FAHC, Fake AH Crew, M/M, Multi, Other, Romance, Simple Farmer Geoff, Sky Factory, it's the crossover au, jack is the mother hen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-05-28 14:59:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15051695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myarmada/pseuds/myarmada
Summary: Jack decides the crew needs some TLC and encourages them to help build a farm with her. Out on the edge of a forest, who knows what secrets live inside?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was edited by the lovely  doivash   
> As always, I do not own any of these characters, I am just here creating a story using them and the world already created for me.

It hadn’t been that bad this time. A scratch here, a graze there. Some powder burns where Michael had hurried too much and didn’t pay attention. But that wasn’t what stunned them all at the end of the day. No, it was how close they had been to seeing their own end.

It hadn’t necessarily been anyone's fault, just a collection of small slip-ups coupled with the other crew being more intelligent than anticipated. But everything added up, and while Michael was stunned from his own dynamite, a well aimed bat to the back took care of him. Gavin, having moved away to avoid the blast radius, didn’t know anything was wrong until the comm went dead. Jeremy was on the other side of the building and quickly running out of bullets. Ryan couldn’t be everywhere at once, and too much gunfire made it impossible to get away. 

Jack had been the one to get them out. As soon as she heard it go wrong, the fearsome woman was sprinting back to their getaway vehicles. Why she had agreed to stay behind, she would never know, but it was too late to regret that now. Now she needed to be focused and the large bulletproof van would be the perfect option for her plan.

Black. Swirls of color. A single line of light whirling around in his vision. And his ears; still ringing, still muffled with a high pitched whine as he tried to sit up. Geoff remembered why he couldn’t move as soon as he tried; someone had got him in the shoulder with a bullet. A hard kick to the chest by someone else only added to his shock, the fall ending with a resounding crack as his head hit the concrete floor.And now someone was standing over him again, grinning as they pressed their foot into his wound. A blurry face suddenly filled his vision, swimming in and out while the dirty grin stayed constant.

“This is what happens Ramsey. You tried to grow too much and now you’re here. Maybe you’ll remember why you can never be ‘King of Los Santos’ when your whole family is dead.” 

The words were loud, like they were right in his ear, yet so muffled at the same time. Something else was covering up the noise. It was all so cloudy, his body trying to tell him different things and none of it comprehensible. His own gasp suddenly filled his ears before the loud noise replaced it again. Oh… that loud noise was his own screams. 

He opened his eyes blearily, still gasping out in pain, to see the blurred face lean closer to him and a gun come into his vision. As it loomed ever closer, his chest grew heavy. Why did it get so hard to breathe?

“I’m happy I’ll be the one to put you down, Ramsey.”

He closed his eyes. Waited for the inevitable. Heard the shot being fired.

Was this what death was? Confusion, pain, and gunfire all around him; the exact same as living? Geoff was still on the ground, was still in pain. Maybe this was what he deserved, to stay exactly where he had been in life and suffer for eternity. He had accepted long ago that whatever happened to good people wasn’t for him. The things Geoff had done, the people he had hurt and killed. No one would ever look at the growing kingpin of Los Santos and say he was good.

“Geoff. You can’t take a nap buddy, I need you to get up.” 

Hearing the voice caused him to become cognizant, realising that something warm and heavy was still on his torso. Opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of the crew leader’s legs still straddling him but the man had fallen over, eyes wide and blood slowly trickling out of a hole in his temple. The shot he heard… had been from someone else?

The kingpin turned his head to see Jack standing there tense but with a small smile on her face. His lovely second in command, always fearsome and stunning in the heat of battle.

“You’re not dying today, Geoffrey. Not on my watch. Now let’s go save our boys.” 

 

That night was quiet, everyone licking their wounds and just being there with each other. They all wound up in the living room but no one talked. No one put on a movie or made a noise. It was peaceful silence after the storm. A gentle lean into each other with an unspoken I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you’re alive. 

Jack, ever the caring figure, walked around to check on everyone’s wounds. Everyone knew how to take care of themselves but she couldn’t merely sit by. She needed to make sure, see for herself they were all living and breathing. Once she made her rounds, the ginger sat down next to Geoff and fiddled idly with her shirt. Seeing the other gang leader that close to pulling the trigger had froze something inside of her. Made her remember for a second what it was like to be alone. And while she wasn’t always one to resort to violence, putting that bullet in his head took no consideration.

Her way to relax was caring for others; helping with charities, bandaging her crew the best she could. The last few years she had gotten quite handy with a needle and a pair of forceps. But now there was nothing to do besides emotional support. Which she could handle just fine. Years of therapy had helped her learn the basics. However, all of her boys, they were so emotionally constipated that the idea of needing help never crossed their minds. They never considered that they needed to relieve stress. 

Those who had figured it out often went on sprees, waking up the next morning in a haze and trying to remember what had happened. Geoff had chosen the bottle and always woke up on his bed or in the bathroom, clothes reeking and eyes bloodshot. Ryan had violence, going away as the Vagabond and maiming anyone in his path. Those mornings after were always quiet as the blonde’s hands shook with the knowledge of what he had done, the blood stains never quite leaving his memory. But, physically, he was never injured. And he couldn’t be mentally when he didn’t even know what he had done. He never tried to find out. Michael… Michael was still learning. Still fine-tuning his addiction with explosions and fire. Nowadays, every news report about arson was due to the skinny kid from New Jersey, and he never could get rid of the scent of smoke and gasoline. 

It was Gavin and Jeremy she worried about most. They had nothing to break up the work. Nothing to use as an escape yet. They were still learning. But she needed to do something. She couldn’t just let them sit by. 

It was time to start up her backup plan.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first part of Jack's plan begins. But there are some added complications to the mix.

Ryan had come to her a while ago about some land he had come into possession of, offering it to her for one of her several projects. While she was cautious about it at first, her trips to the place had quelled any fears. It was beautiful, a place where the wild took over everything and claimed the land as its own. She had originally planned to build a cat sanctuary on it with Lindsay but her new idea quickly replaced that: a place to escape from the city that wasn’t too far away. It was perfect for her to drag all the boys out so they could relax. And when she saw how broken the lads were, she could only hope that a week away from it all would be good for them. Maybe if they fixed something for once instead of destroying they could wind down.

After she realised what she wanted to do, it didn’t take long for the pilot to begin studying-- creating a plan with Ryan before she even dared to go to Geoff with her hopes. He gave into her flurry of ideas even quicker than she expected, admitting somewhat tiredly that even he was getting weary in their line of unending work.

With that settled, it was simple. She moved all of her plans into place with some extra money from a few jobs, and began to collect the materials and manpower she would need. While she wanted to work solely with the crew to create this, she couldn’t deny the pure fact that they didn’t have the knowledge necessary for what she had in mind.

She had spent the last month scoping out Ryan’s property, making sure there was somewhere for all of them to sleep and what the land had to offer. Backed onto a forest, it was almost like nothing really existed; it was just a barren land that had hints of past existence. Except that Ryan had built a facility of some sort. Said the ginger didn’t want to know but that it had an attached living space that they could sleep in. After that, it was studying different aspects of working on a farm: the soil composition, animal care, the weather patterns of the area, anything she could think of to be better prepared. Ryan did some work of his own but, like with every other topic under the sun, he was already familiar with at least the basics.

Once everything was in place, Geoff worked schedules to give them a week off. His other men could take care of everything while the main six went away on ‘a long term project’. No one would call unless there was an emergency. Then there was the hassle of getting everyone packed and ready to go and _no Gavin you don’t need twelve different suits. It’s a week and we’re keeping this quiet._ The rest of the ride was their general foolishness, Gavin begging for Jack to hit any bikers they came across, a weird game of would you rather and all of the hypotheticals.  

After a couple hours they began the twisting road through the woods and everyone quieted down as they tried to figure out where they were going. There were no safe houses of theirs out this way and Geoff had said quiet but he never said off the fucking grid. The lads began to murmur in the back; what crazy idea had Jack come up with, what was she thinking? None of them had exactly packed to go camping and they didn’t have any camping equipment with them.

The complaints felt like a physical force to Jack, pinning her down and bringing her anxiety to new heights over this plan. Maybe she’s foolish, expecting so much of them. They’re all still so _new_ , should they really be taking a break now instead of planning _more_? The crew was still trying to get a definite hold. But they needed this-- some of the boys, more weary than the others, the ones who still hadn’t found their own escape, weren’t meant to exist in this pure chaos that consumed them all, the chaos they created.

The complaints quieted for a moment when she brought the van to a stop, the front window showing off the vast, empty landscape she had already fallen in love with.

“Jackie bird, this is nice and all but we aren’t exactly the ‘roughing it for a week’ crowd. I thought you said we were going somewhere _nice_?”

Once Gavin spoke up the other lads joined in, a raucous cry that only voiced all her own fears. Her own mind buzzed so loud that when a heavy hand rested on her shoulder, Jack’s initial response was to jump away as much as she could. It wasn’t until she met Geoff’s calm, determined eyes that she could even take another breath in. The world might see Jack as the true steadying force in the crew, the mother and protector, but Geoff got her into this life in the first place. He pulled her into this insanity and let her know that she and those she cared for would be safe while they had a little extra fun.

“Jackie has gotten us through so much and all y’all are here complaining? How about helping her just this once, even a little? It’s one week and a vacation. She wants to do something good for all of us and you’re going to let her. Let’s set the guns aside for one week, and if you don’t like it you don’t have to keep coming back out. But Gavin, you love playing in the dirt. Michael, you can help build the barn and a couple other buildings. The foundations have all been laid, we just need to get it all together. And I hired a special contractor who will be out here tomorrow to help with the actual building.”

They all quieted for a moment to take in how shaken Jack looked. She never really fought for something like this; she did her own thing most of the time and then was always there for everyone. They had all been so busy trying to cover their own asses that they didn’t notice. After a couple seconds of silence, Jeremy looked down at the ground and kicked at a grass clump.

“I’ll help you. I’ve always loved the outdoors, and these morons can learn what dirt and physical labour is like.”

* * *

_The last few days went well_. The sun had barely broken through the large tree line, weak yellow light streaking into the small kitchen where Jack sat before planning out the day. Everyone else was sleeping, giving her a moment to herself where she could rest and simply soak up the warm early morning rays.

So much had happened and while they still had a ways to go, it was beginning to look like a farm. Gavin and Michael had been creating a fence for her, slowly marking out where they had claimed and where they planned to expand into. Ryan had given her a map to draw on and add details to as the construction continued. Similar to their map in the city, it was covered in scribbles and thoughts. Yet while the city map was full of heist plans and the locations of gang territory claims, this had expansion, crop lines, and infrastructure detailed on it.

“Jack! Come look what I found!” The woman grumbled over her coffee at the voice; getting up early had been wonderful but she still was sore and tired and needed something to get started. Geoff normally wasn’t up as early as her so why was he so exuberant when the sun had barely risen?

After persistent calling for her from outside, the tall woman finally made her way out to the dewy field to see Geoff struggling to hold an odd.. something. Upon coming closer she finally realised what she was looking at.

“Geoff.. How did you find a chicken out here?” She could hear how deadpan she sounded, almost exasperated while watching the older man wrestle with a mess of feathers. Oddly enough however, the bird wasn’t trying to fight or crying to escape. Instead it appeared to be trying to get ahold of some food Geoff held in his other hand.   
  
“It was being a shit head around three this morning and I went to go look for it. You know, I listen, I do my best to be here for you all and help where I can. You had mentioned wanting livestock and I used to raise chickens so I thought to myself, ‘This is something I can do.’ And I found this little bugger finally. He’s beautiful and I want to see if it’s a girl or not so we can get eggs.” 

“Geoff… I’m nowhere near done with the garden. I want to focus on that first. If you want to raise that chicken you can. The lads have an area marked off that was going to be a nursery but if you want to have it over there you can.”

She could tell that he wanted her to be excited. But this project had been so physically taxing that her body refused to have any emotions. The rest of the day she looked over to Geoff corralling the chicken he had caught in a fence to make sure it didn’t run away because it would surely ‘run off an edge and die’ and tried to smile. But she never made it that far. The energy wasn’t there.

* * *

Geoff cursed to himself while wiping some more sweat from his face. His mustache drooped from the constant heat and it felt odd to not be in his suit, sitting behind a large desk and making men tremble at his sight. And now he was here, shoes covered in mud and feathers coating every inch of his body from his damn chicken. How did one of these even shed that many feathers? He grew up on a farm, he thought he knew chickens. And yet this one looked so different from any of the ones he had seen at a county fair. 

The feathers shimmered with an iridescent tinge at the ends that he never knew was possible. Maybe it was one of those hybrids with jellyfish dna or something like that? He had read a news article about that once; some science shit. Maybe this one had escaped from a rich person's farm and made its way here? Who knew. But Geoff was going to keep it hidden away and raise it. He needed to prove to Jack that he could do something. Make her smile for once. She deserved to smile more.

Glancing across the field showed Jack to be where she had been all morning, carefully transplanting all the vegetables she had bought yesterday. Thankfully she had called a crew to till most of the land for her a few days before they arrived and now all she needed to do was fertilise and water the seedlings. Her hair shined brightly against all the greenery, making sure she stood out if her boldly printed shirts didn’t do the job themselves. Seeing her like this, covered in dirt and sweating with a look of pure determination drawing across her features reminded him of how they met. The shaken up young girl who would never show how scared she truly was. With a fire so bright it lit up all around it, Jack had swept Geoff off his feet immediately. She was quick witted and made jokes that only he got but that somehow made their encounters all the sweeter.

Shaking himself from his thoughts with a fond smile, he looked down at the chicken who was currently pressed up against his leg. _This bird had to have been owned to be begging like that_. It hadn’t actually been making a ruckus. But he couldn’t sleep and he had needed to get out last night. Geoff missed being out of the city where you could simply go outside and walk until your feet hurt. It wasn’t bright or loud or dangerous. There was no need to look over your shoulder when you went walking out in a field. Not like in the city where he had painted his own green target on his back. In the city when he couldn’t sleep all he could do was sit in the kitchen and work. There was nowhere to go when his head wouldn’t be quiet.

So he had wandered for a bit, checked out what had been done so far and what more still needed to get done. The moon shone brightly out here, lighting up the tufts of grains and giving the whole meadow a calm, ethereal feeling. When he wandered closer to the edge of the forest, already starting to get chilly with the humid wind, there had been a quiet clucking along with soft rustling in the underbrush. _It’s too dark… you’re hearing things, stupid... I should wait… maybe it will be here in the morning… you’ve got nothing better to do…_ Steeling himself, Geoff wandered into the edge of the tree line, looking around for the creature he heard. It had to have been a chicken, but to have one wandering out at this hour?

The damn bird had almost scared him when it appeared, quietly coming out of the brush to stand at his feet and stare up with dead, beady eyes. Yet they portrayed some sort of knowledge, it wasn’t afraid of Geoff. Almost like it was curious with what it saw. And now Geoff had a chicken. He just had to figure out a name for it. There was no way they could eat a prized bird like this.

* * *

Jack looked up from her work and swiped some sweat from her face. The sun was unrelenting out here and only the mild breeze helped cool her off as she continued to ready the soil and transplant. It was long and hard work but thankfully her careful planning saved her some time. There were no rocks or annoying root systems to take care of while she worked. Another look around the expanse of land showed most of the guys wandering around and exploring. Ryan was pacing off area for.. something large apparently while the lads bounced around near the tree line. Well.. Gavin and Jeremy were at least. Michael was sitting in the shade tugging up grass with a large scowl on his face.

* * *

He hated this. Being out here in the open felt uncomfortable and there was nothing for him to do here. He wanted to be back in the city where the tall buildings hid the surrounding mountains and the people kept him from being alone. It was too quiet and everything whirred with unseen critters instead of shimmering with heat. It was hot in the direct heat and Michael refused to take off his leather jacket. That would be defeat. The young lad barely looked up from the grass he was ripping as someone sat next to him. A quick glance revealed bright red hair.

“Are you coming to chastise me because I’m not doing anything? Because I don't care. I want to be back in the city, there’s nothing for me out here and I know this is your little project but I can’t help.”

He pulled his jacket closer around his body while looking around the field with a scowl. Even though Jack had meant well with her actions it wasn’t right for him. This wasn’t a stress-relief field trip for everyone. If anything he felt even worse out here, on edge with his lack of cover and familiarity with his surroundings. If he went into the woods someone could attack him and he wouldn’t even know where to run to.

He heard a gentle sigh next to him and didn’t even jump when a heavy, warm hand rested on his shoulder.

“No. I would never chastise you Michael. This is for all of us. It’s not meant to be a group activity, we’re each kind of doing our own thing out here. And you have done something, you came with us and you even got the fences up for me. But if you hate it out here that much, why don’t you take Gavin and head into the city? Unsurprisingly, I forgot to pack enough food for all you boys. You can do a grocery run. I’ve got a list of other supplies that I would love for you to pick up also while you’re out.”

He didn’t deserve her patience. She was always so ready to take care of everyone and while she got mad or protective, it was never smothering. Jack was a gentle shield, ready for you whenever you needed her. Even if you didn’t know it. In his world that had made people weak; those who were willing to die to save others ended up dead, end of story. But not her, it made her strong and fierce, she would never let anything keep her away from the rest of the crew and anyone who tried would pay. He could at least do this much. And he could go to the city.

The city rumbled around them as Michael and Gavin went about their list of tasks. Thankfully it wasn't complicated but it took up time as the two of them were able to avoid the farm for a little longer. Well, Michael could avoid the farm; Gavin was going on and on about how lovely the forest was and this perfect stick he had found -- 'It's perfecting for fighting, Michael! Jeremy and I can have a duel!' -- and how everything was just _swell_. The happiness of everyone swirled around to settle ugly in his stomach. Everyone was enjoying themselves so much it seemed. Having a grand ol' time out on the farm in the dirt and the quiet and the emptiness.

Something Michael never knew. His life had always been screaming and gunfire and violence from the moment he was born. It comforted him. The noise would tell him if something was wrong; the silence only hid death. If you didn't hear the man behind you, didn't hear the click of a gun or the hiss of a fuse, you were dead. That was how the world worked.

"--I think you would like some of the stuff we found. Maybe you and I could even construct a little house for the Lads out in the woods. No one would know. We could have a tree house, Michael!" Gavin's voice burst back into his consciousness, almost causing him to swerve if he wasn't so used to the loud brit constantly squawking in his ear.

* * *

Jack smiled up at the sweating lad when he came back, the displeasure on his face not swaying her in the slightest.

"What do you want me to do with all this dirt? Also why did I have to go pick up dirt if you were already hoarding some in the garage?"

With a chuckle, she stood and stretched. "It's dirt and that was compost that you grabbed. I've been planning to do something like this for awhile so I gave myself a head start. Thank you for going to get it, with all of you in the van I couldn't bring as much as I wanted with me. There are some more bins on the side of the house. If you could take all of it over there for me and mix them half dirt half compost that would be wonderful. Take the other lads to help you if you want."

Putting all of her seedlings that hadn't been transplanted yet out of the sun, she went off to finish unpacking the rest of the van and storing up the house with necessities. With the week drawing to an end she found herself content with the progress. _It’s not done. But it’s a start. We can make something with this._ Her boys had relaxed significantly--except for Michael-- and it was nice to hear them laughing about something that wasn’t chaos.

Now she just had to convince them to come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was edited by the lovely  doivash   
> I'm not sure when the next chapter will come out. Hopefully in two weeks since I still have a tad more to write for it. Hope y'all enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought. Comments and kudos are always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With everyone back into the city, some trouble rose its head while they were gone and its time to rectify that issue.

“We’re just gonna talk to them. Do a routine check up, that’s all. I need Gavin to go with me, Ryan you’re going to wait outside. If anything goes wrong you take them down, understood?” Geoff circled the couch, pacing with intense thought. They had that good job, but now they needed to grow. Show that hadn’t been a fluke. He had said he would be the king and sure as balls he was going to be the king. 

Looking around, everyone nodded; it was simple and everyone knew their part. Everyone else would sweep those two blocks to make sure nothing else was going down and see if they could get paid by any other establishments for their protection. With the new status they held it theoretically would go smoother. This was their chance to take more of the city.

The ride out to their blocks went calmly, Geoff going over Jack’s small book of notes regarding their growing business. Full of addresses, payment collections and background info, it carried everything he would ever need when out on the job. While Gavin was always a help with his laid back nature, Jack’s dutiful notes kept them afloat and on top of all their ownings. Soon enough they pulled up and began their routine walk throughs, checking with every store and home they had under their watch. It helped to connect with them he found, give them a face to turn to if anything was wrong and they needed some help.

_ Just a few more shops to go. _ While he knew this work was necessary, it was still exhausting to do. Keeping tabs on everyone was just so much work. Hopefully one day they would be strong enough that they wouldn’t need to do this. Looking up at their next check in, he smiled. The pastry shop always smelled wonderful and if he could he would buy every item the baker made there. However nice it normally was, Geoff tensed when he walked into the door of the bakery and immediately heard yelling. Well lit and warm, the coziness of the place sharply countered the hulking owner who snarled as he stomped towards them, still covered in flour and carrying his pin. Instinctually, Geoff stepped in front of Gavin, terrified but keeping his calm. The kingpin couldn’t show fear. 

“Price! Back off before I have my men take you down. What’s wrong?”

“I’ll tell you what’s fucking wrong, Ramsey. You come in here, threatening me, claiming you’ll keep this area safe, a good place. All for just a little cash every month. And I agreed. I want to have kids. I want to raise them here. But yesterday myself and the jeweler down the street were robbed! Where were you? What happened to your so-called ‘protection’ huh? Fat lot of good you did for me.” He was fuming as he hulked over Geoff, angrily prodding him as he spoke and covering the shorter man’s suit with flour spots. 

Sharing a glance with Gavin behind him, Geoff sidestepped so they were shoulder to shoulder before speaking again.

"I'll add an extra detail for this area. Whoever is jumping this area will learn quick that they shouldn't mess around. And for now, we'll do this free of charge as compensation for our fault. Do you have any footage for my men to go over and have the police been told?"

Once the duo had the info they needed, it was off to the jeweler to corroborate the smaller details. Someone was trying to play in their territory. And Geoff would have them taken down.

* * *

“Micheal, I need you and Jeremy to cover these city blocks. Keep an eye out for any deals happening that we don’t know about, robberies, see what stores you can get under our protection. You know the deal.”

Geoff ignored the groans from the back corner of their small room to turn to Gavin, “You and Matt have any luck on figuring out who those two robbers are working for?” 

“No. We’re narrowing down who they fall under but they covered their tracks.”

"Well do what you can. Hopefully they'll show again. Hitting two stores like that? They've got balls of steel--Ryan, go see what you can collect. You have the best connections out of all of us. Hear anything about some crew trying to take our territory. And go as your other get up. Can't have people realising the Vagabond is looking for info about his crew."

Geoff groaned at the end of the day when he could finally sit and relax, closing his eyes when a pair of wide hands began to work over his shoulders. With an unknown robbery everyone was on high alert, and it was on him to make sure it didn’t happen again. They were getting so much closer to winning and someone really thought they could come in and take it all from them.

"Take a break tomorrow. I'll run the boys. You've done enough this week for us." Her words were soft in his ear, the familiar rumble along with her skilled hands causing him to melt back even further.

He reached up to rest a hand on hers before turning to meet her eyes with a lax grin. "We'll be fine Jackie. And I'll go easier tomorrow but I can't take a break. Not when I've got all of you to keep track of. You're always here to take care of us but you don't deserve all the stress yourself."

"You don't either."

With a sigh, Geoff squeezed her hand before resting back as Jack continued to work out his stiffness. "I know. We do this together... Stay with me tonight?"

"As you wish, my king."

* * *

Ryan felt naked without his mask or face paint on as he wandered through the small dive bar. It was where most of his connections hung out on the weekends, sipping a beer while they tried to swindle more people of their money. He hated it here; with so many people and the noise you had no idea what was happening around you. It wasn’t something he could control and all the sensations began to overwhelm him until he forced himself to calm down.  _ This is not the place for the Vagabond. Focus on the job. _

Shaking himself out of it, Ryan began to look around for his connection. She had to be here somewhere, prowling and probably trying to hit on some new kid who could finally buy his first drink. He made his way closer to the bar, hoping to catch a glimpse of her maroon hair. Soon enough he found his ‘friend’ and sat down to order her another drink.

“Well, well. What can I do for you, Sir? Being so kind as to buy me a drink?”

He chuckled at the antics, shooting her a wink before paying the bartender, “I’d love a private place to talk with a pretty little thing like you. Get to know each other.” 

Without another word she slinked off with the drink, barely glancing back. Ryan followed her to a small table to sit at up against the wall. No one would be listening to their conversation and it allowed for them to only mime flirting.

“I just want to know a couple things, darling. The usual going ons and I have a special request.”

Rifling through his pockets, the blonde found the new burner phone as well as the slip of paper with his inquires. “Just text the number here once you get what I need and as always you’ll be rewarded.” 

“Alright, and let Goldie know I expect another date.”

* * *

“So we did some more digging and these two robbers belong to a new crew who are calling themselves the Crafters. They are growing fast and appear to be a mixture of blood-related family and guns for hire. It’s possible they were a mafia out East who moved here with their cash to get a head start. But that’s all we have right now.”

“There’s a few records of past deals but most of it refers to what sounds like physical papers so not much has been digitized. We will need to infiltrate if we want to learn anything else.”

Jack scribbled along as she listened to Gavin and Matt report their findings, keeping an eye on Geoff in her periphery. He was obviously agitated. Ever since they became stable he needed to have control over everything and finding out how much they didn’t know? Made everything worse. 

“Alright. I want our streets sweeped more often as well as two people out there every day. I’ll set up a rotating schedule and I have a few more deals that should bring in some cash. We can work with that. Jack and I will begin drafting a plan to get a hold of their physical records.”

“I also have some extra cash we can use. And no Geoff, we’re using it.” Jack’s eyes stayed steady on the older man, forcing him to back down before she turned to smile sweetly at Ryan, “You said that they aren’t looking for any new hires right now correct? And it sounded like those two robbers had no idea what terf they were on. Just doing as they were told.” 

“They have about six hired men and the family consists of eight people. But we’ve only seen two of them. They handle the in person deals and other regular work. The rest of the family is still unknown but my connection is doing her best.”

“And what does she want?”

“She’s working for the incredibly low price of my guarantee she gets another date with Gavin.”

The immediate squawking caused Ryan to smirk under his paint as he glanced over to the younger man. “What? You flirt with people all the time for us, can’t fake it again?”

“No. She wants another date with me? Why couldn’t she just say something like a regular bird?”

After a moment’s consideration, Ryan sat back down to shoot him an even look, “Maybe because nothing about our work is regular. And she isn’t going to show her hand that easily. Just be glad she’s not putting out false promises if you buy her a drink.”

* * *

Gavin was exhausted by the time he got home. If he was lucky everyone would be asleep and he could peacefully make it to the shower. Of course as fate would have it, he was unlucky and as soon as he closed the door the blonde turned around to face Ryan.

"I see that she certainly enjoyed her time out with you so I don't need to ask how it went." The smirk was evident in his voice, causing Gavin to blush as red as the kiss marks covering his face and neck. She had gone a little... overboard with reapplying her lipstick as often as she could. Even cackled when she left Gavin to let him finally go home. "Boys, y'all should come see this. Our goldie might have gotten laid."

With a groan, Gavin tried to fix his destroyed hair as best he could while the others all came into the foyer, smirking and trying to hide their laughter.

"Well we know who is the top in the relationship."

"Did you ever think  _ Gavin _ could be anything besides a bottom?"

"Well no, but I thought maybe it would be more even."

"I don't think that's gonna come off with one shower bud. Better hope you can cover those tomorrow before our meeting with Burnie."

Gavin felt his ears flame as everyone cajoled him about his date. It had been really nice and the messing around in the back of her car had been even better. But he didn't need this part. This was too much. And while he knew they were just kidding it was still embarrassing to have it pointed out. Before he could complain however, a pair of arms wrapped around him along with a sweet scent. Jack.

"It's okay. We still love you Gavin. Let's go get you in the shower okay? And with makeup remover and some exfoliating we'll have it out in no time."

Relaxing into the hold felt so nice, Jack was a gentle shelter for anyone who needed her and Gavin appreciated her stepping forward for him. Soon enough everyone else began to crowd around, teasing mixed in with endearments and kisses on his skin. Once he was melting into their touches, someone picked him up and began to carry him off towards the bathroom.

"Let's go get you cleaned up and then we can go to bed. We were waiting for you."

This was his home, this is why he stayed.

* * *

“Mogar, I need you to get the lads out of there now! Gold’s back is sliced and Rimmy has a shot in the leg. Cover them out and Jackie’s got the car waiting. Vagabond and I will take the bikes back. Just go!” Geoff was panting behind cover-- _ getting too fucking old for this shit _ \--, his arms gently oozing blood into his suit. But they were gonna be fine. They had to be fine. A little hiccup and nothing more than that. 

Glancing around the office space didn’t offer much until he heard a scream to his left, promptly followed by the flying body it was emitted from. The dark laughter coming down the hallway meant Ryan was on the prowl and anyone in his path would be sorry to cross him. Vagabond had come out to play. His boys were hurt and their pain fueled him. 

While he would love to stay and wreck some more shit, they had what they needed, their point was made, and it was time to go home. Retreat. Lick their wounds and move on to the next step. 

_ Grab ankle. Pull then go down with the knife. Keep moving. Kick to the chest. Aim. Throw. Kill.   _ Ryan was ready to kill every single person in this building. That wasn’t the job, but the ringing screams of his family had tipped him over, had sent him into attack dog mode. This was no longer to play around. Make them suffer, and spread the word of what would happen to those who stood in the way of the Fakes. This was efficient murder. To end those who dared try to touch those who mattered to him. 

Voices swirled in his head, egging him on, encouraging him to end the night covered in guts and gore. Geoff was calling, pleading for him to go. The orders had all been ignored long before now. The kingpin couldn’t stop him now. Not when he was so close to tasting holy revenge, burning his soul out until he glowed with satisfaction. 

“ _ Rye.. Battle Buddies remember? Let’s.. go home now. _ ”

The voice pulsed through everything else, weak as it was, causing him to pause and consider. Jeremy was injured. Jeremy was calling for him. Everything raged inside of him, begging to kill, begging to protect. It wasn’t until a weak, pained whimper made its way over the coms that Ryan shook his head and began to retreat back to Geoff. Jeremy needed him. He needed him there and if that’s what the man wanted then he would be sure to follow through. The thirst could be sated later, once this had all been blown over.  _ You will satiate it later. _

Once he made it to the van, the blonde ripped off his mask and instantly hovered over Jeremy. With the Vagabond still holding weak control, he refused for anyone to get close to the two. Even in the cramped back as they were. He was the only one who could patch Jeremy up. He was the only one who could touch him. Someone else could hurt Jeremy. No one was allowed to do that. It wasn't until a weak hand cupped his cheek and the shorter man met his eyes with a grin did he allow himself to relax.

Ryan finally smiled as they drove away, kissing the palm of Jeremy's hand before moving so Michael could help stem the blood.

"There's my Rye."

* * *

"Alright go patch up and rest your dicks. We'll meet up in the morning. And Gavin, don't you dare even look at that data stick tonight. You need to sleep and heal. If you try to sneak into my room tonight to get it I'm sending your ass to the hideout for a week with no internet."

Everyone headed off silently except for a whine from Gavin, going to care for their small wounds and finally pass out for the night. Thank god the injuries weren't as bad as they could have been. They would survive and fight for their future.

He had been so scared during that fight. Anytime someone was hurt it hurt him. They were his children and he had promised to protect those he took under his wing. And Geoff planned to keep his word. He couldn't always be an honest man but with this motley of a family he created? He would keep a promise he made.

Once everyone was gone he heard a soft voice come up behind him, a hand slipping to rest around his hip.

"Did we get what we need?"

"God, I sure hope so."

The adrenaline ran through her system, keeping Jack on high alert the rest of the night. Their screams and broken gunfire through the coms continued to run through her head. Being the getaway driver was paralyzing; she couldn't leave the car once she got to it, she had to sit and listen and hope they all made it out. Sure, she and Geoff had their contingency plan but she prayed they would never need to use it.

A settling weight on the bed behind her roused Jack from her racing thoughts. There was no need to turn. The callous hand wrapping around her was as familiar as her own skin. Familiar in cold rooms when they would shiver together and pray they both woke up in the morning.

"I couldn't sleep and I knew for sure you wouldn't be able to either."

"I couldn't help them Geoff. I couldn't go and get our boys-"

"Shh, that's my job. You get us out of the mess, just like always. Now rest."

Neither one slept but it helped to have each other. A calming presence on the whirlwind nights like this. The dangerous nights. No one could come against them when it was the two of them.

In the early morning light Jack finally rolled over to face the older man, sighing as she moved back into his arms.

"I think we should take a break."

Her words were soft in the dim light, matching the quiet space they had built for themselves. It wasn't until Geoff started to pull away while trying and failing to make a blank face did she realise her words.

"Not like that asshole. Come back here. I meant with work. We should go back out to the farm. By the end of next week you'll be bashing your head against a wall because you don't know what to do about this other crew. We have no new information."

Geoff sighed in relief and wrapped back up under the blankets again as he considered. "But they came onto our turf last time we left. It was like they knew. I just don't know how they're so hidden, who keeps everything on paper in this day and age?"

"They're a mafia, an old fashioned family. It's probably the younger kids who convinced them to even leave their established turf. But if they're watching then we set a trap for the guns to run into. Make them think we left and be ready to catch those who think they can come up against us."

He knew she was right, the frustration had been keeping him up at night. Made him wish he could drink if only to forget about his worries. And they had all been more agitated at home lately, the anger brewing in silence instead of exploding with a quick death like it used to. And he did admit he missed his chicken. Sure someone had been out to make sure it had food and water but no one had played with him. Made sure he was happy.

"I suppose you're right. I'll see if any of them need to get stuff done before we go out again. And I'll talk to Rye, see what plan we can make to catch them. I know he'll want to find out some information, Jeremy still has a slight limp."

"We'll take them down. I know we will."

It grew quiet after that, each of them enjoying the other presence as birds continued to sing and the sound of cars deep below them rumbled up.

* * *

"When can we go? We've been out here for forever and nothing is happening."

"Treyco and Axial will be out to take over soon, just another hour or so."   
  
The groan was audible over the comm along with a faint sound that was possibly Jeremy kicking a trash can. They had been wandering through their area for the past few hours, making sure any drug lords hanging about were on their payroll as well as keeping an eye out for anyone who was suspicious. It had been a couple weeks since the robberies and everyone was still on high alert. Gavin and Matt were doing their best, all the paperwork they had grabbed from the hit was helping. But with physical papers it took longer to trace money flow since they also had to input everything into their own database. Hopefully what they had gained would be enough that they could make a move.

And then Jeremy and Michael wouldn’t have to be out here every day anymore. Michael was ready to make sure they suffered for making him do this low level lackey work again.

"I know, it sucks. But then we can go home and play some video games. I can beat your ass in Ultimate Chicken Horse again."

An indignant 'oy' crackled in his ear in response, causing Michael to laugh as he drags his bat along the wall.

"Michael, even the farm would be nicer than this. At least I would be doing something."

The brunette paused in his tracks as he considered it. The farm. He hadn't even given it a second thought since they left but he couldn't deny that everyone else had enjoyed their time out there at least a little. The gents and Gavin had loved it the most and he knew Jeremy was at least okay with it. He could suck it up for them couldn't he? It would be another week and he could drive into the city again or help Jack or Geoff with their sections. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they went out again.

"Yeah maybe it would be, bring it up to Jack that you want to go out again."

Michael just hoped it wouldn't feel like he was crawling out of his skin this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully most of the chapters will be alternating between the city and the farm with two almost separate plots. Hope y'all are enjoying it so far!
> 
> Also this is what happens when you have a lot of people and lots of little moments to cover. Welcome to line breaks: the fic
> 
> If you have any comments or questions feel free to leave a comment on the chapter and I'll get to them as soon as I can!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The farm seems to be going well and Geoff can get more chickens to add to his empire. But the forest has other plans for the little crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright... So things in the real world have gotten a bit hectic and this chapter took too long to put out. I'm sorry about that y'all but I'll do my best to stay on some form of schedule

It didn't take much convincing this time before the crew headed out to their small reprieve from the real world. Everyone had packed their bags, prepared for another few days out in the fresh air.

The drive hadn't been nerve-wracking either for Jack this time; everyone knew where they were going and looking forward to it. Well, Michael wasn’t really _looking forward to it,_ but he was at least accepting of the time out in the woods now.

The farm seemed… _different_ somehow, and Jack couldn’t really point out what it was. The air seemed to shimmer and the woods felt changed, older, as if it knew they were here and were watching with interest. She shook it off and followed after the rest while carrying a large bag of soil on her shoulder.

Geoff immediately went off to the pen he had built, sitting inside as his chicken began to squawk and jumped about in his lap. "Who's a good little chicken? With all your bright feathers and so happy to see me? Yes you are. Yes you are. Such a beautiful chickie. I missed you while I was gone, did you miss me? I bet you did," he cooed, nuzzling his face into her feathers.

Jack only snorted as she went off to her garden, smiling as she looked over everything. It had all grown so much... almost too fast? But none of the fruits looked like they had split so maybe she just misjudged their growth rate? The helpers had been keeping them well nourished with manure, even tossing in any droppings from Geoff's chicken so nothing went to waste.

She didn’t get too far on checking up on her plants when she heard the older man give out a shout and glimpsed him running for the tree line. Instantly she went on high alert, hand dropping to the gun she had holstered on her hip. It didn’t matter how off the grid they were, she wasn’t about to go around unarmed while she was outside. Carefully the woman stood and peered down the pasture to see Geoff come running back with two more chickens under his arms.

“I saw them near the trees! They were all shining out here and they’re all so lovely. Now she’ll have more friends to play with when we’re gone!”

True to his word, three more were following behind Geoff, clucking happily along as they went into the pen with him. They all glimmered in the bright afternoon light, their feathers reflecting like an oil slick to display an array of unnaturally vibrant colours.

She didn’t know where they all kept coming from, but at this point Jack assumed that either all these birds escaped some testing facility or they had found a new species of chicken that only existed in the woods outside of Los Santos. Jack couldn’t bring herself to care much beyond that; it kept Geoff from trampling over her things.

* * *

 

“Hey, while Gavin is following Ryan around do ya want to go explore? We’ve got nothing to really do right now.”

Michael looked up from where he was mixing some more dirt and compost for Jack, wiping the grime from his face. Jeremy was backlit by the morning sun but even in the contrast he could see the gigantic grin on his face. The grin that always foretold of a chaotic good time.

“Fuck yeah. Let’s go see what we can find. Gavin still wants to have a stick fight, we can find a good one and bash his fucking head in.”

“Or just give to Geoff so he can shove it up Gavin’s ass.”

The woods felt safer during the day to Michael. Sure someone could still be hiding, watching and waiting for a time to strike, but it was easier to run and hide, to put your back up against something, to lose them in the trees. All his worries faded quickly though as they continued to walk. The yellow green light shining in and warming them as Jeremy’s rambling bounced off the trees around them. And it was so _loud_ in here. With the birds calling, a light breeze rustling the leaves, the bugs chittering underfoot, it was almost like the safe haven of the city. If Michael closed his eyes he could imagine himself in the city park.

They wandered for a bit, trading jabs and whipping branches against trunks. There wasn’t much of interest out here but Jeremy still wanted the perfect stick, convinced that they would find one if they went deeper on the small animal trail they found. Walking further, the path opened up into a small clearing; backed onto a hill, weather-worn stone created high walls that blocked them out from the rest of the world. In the center there were some stones that looked as if they had been placed intentionally in a small semicircle. Michael felt something itch in the back of his mind, something warning him not to go any further, it wasn’t for him.

Jeremy nudged Michael and nodded towards the outcropping, a large grin on his face. “Doesn’t this look like the opening for a scary game? But I betcha I can do a backflip off that bit of rock right there and land perfectly on those black rocks.” Michael was about to hold him back because screw Jeremy calling him a coward, this didn’t feel right. Just as he raised a hand to speak, the itch vanished. Why couldn’t they have a little fun away from everyone else? It could be a secret place, the others wouldn’t know.

Michael began to follow after Jeremy, taunting him and ridiculing his definite future injuries. “I’m not helping you get back to the farm. I don’t care if you have to cra-” His mouth shut of its own accord, silencing him. And no matter how much he wanted to finish his sentence his body refused. Before he could panic however, a strong wind swept through the clearing. An unnatural wind that seemed to suck all the oxygen from their lungs and pushed out from the center. Once it died down, the pair were struck by the deafening silence. Even though they could still see leaves blowing nearby, there was no sound. The birds’ cries vanished into nothing and even as they cautiously stepped forward no crackling could be heard underfoot.

Michael couldn’t even think to speak, almost compelled again to not break the silence as they inched forward, drawn towards the center of the clearing. It was calling to them, a soft tickle in the back of the mind to investigate without fear or worry of the sudden change. _Nothing is wrong._

Once they reached the center, the pair stared down at the patterned rocks, finally noticing some sort of carving adorning each rock, perfectly centered and aligned to make a neat design. Michael knelt in front of the rocks, his hand drawn forward to touch them. Grazing his hand over the smooth surface felt right somehow, the cold seeping into his fingers as he felt over the raised designs. Whether it was made this way or weather worn, the surface felt like glass.

_Wait… now it feels wet?_ Michael frowned as he pulled his hand away and gasped, his finger now cleanly sliced open and oozing freely. Before he could even say anything, Jeremy was reaching out and grabbing his hand, grip tight as he stared at the flowing trail that was quickly dripping down to the taller man’s wrist.

“Jeremy, let go. I need to wrap it. I said _let. Go._ ” He had to yank his hand out the man’s grasp, a quick punch following in his frustration. Jeremy’s eyes were almost glazed over, hungry and out of control for something unknown. No consciousness resided in those eyes, only pure determination; it was like Michael had never spoken, had never hit him. And while the reason worried at the back of his head, telling him to leave, to get out of here, another louder voice dampened it. Told him nothing was wrong.

_You should be worried about this. You should be leaving here._ Michael frowned as he stared at the unending flow coming from his finger. A calm washed over him, settling his fears and hushing the rational part of him. The part that had played too many horror games and knew what spelled trouble. _Doesn’t it feel nice? To release?_ The blood could wait. He would be fine. Jeremy still seemed single-minded, eyes locked onto the blood that adorned Michael’s hand and on the black rocks at their feet. Blinking, he stepped back. Nothing had happened but something was telling him to, something was pushing against his chest insistently like they needed him out of way. He reached forward to grab Jeremy’s shirt and pull him back as well.

With two more steps the rocks began to glow, and any traces of blood disappeared as if they were absorbed into the solid surface. Between one blink and the next, wood began to sprout up out of the rocks. Everything spewed forth with a mind of its own, wrapping around itself to create two large pillars of twisted wood shooting towards the sky. Eventually they began to reach towards each other while growing thicker, blocking out the sun above as they formed into a large archway. Michael couldn’t believe what was right in front of him but he couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak as the wood sparked and glowed with green light that ran and ebbed all along the mass. It pulsated as it moved, the bark cracking open to reveal the unknown power.

Everything stilled for another moment, energy shimmering the air around them as they gaped at the new architecture. _Touch it. It needs you Michael. Just step forward and touch it._ Before he could even consider Michael found himself already walking forward with his injured hand raised out to gently graze the gnarled wood. As soon as his blood smeared over the arch, the green glowed brighter before pulsing rapidly. The air tasted of metal. Everything sizzled as the light began recede, migrating towards the inside of the arch and shooting out across the two ends of the arch, creating a lattice of energy that pulsed until it filled the entire void and began to swirl. And it still didn't scare them. They still didn’t speak. With one last pulse, everything seemed to explode, pushing the pair backwards in a silent shockwave.

When the light faded and their senses returned, the archway had withered away leaving the clearing empty except for the innocent black rocks and a small chicken.

They were both silent for a moment before glancing to each other, Jeremy offering a sly grin. “Betcha I can do a backflip and land on those black rocks perfectly.”

_Didn’t we… already… why is this so famili- We should go back to the others._ Michael brought his hand up to his forehead. Everything ached and his brain was a whirlwind. Why was this bothering him so much? There was nothing wrong with this. And hadn’t they been back at the edge of the clearing just a second ago? And there was that itch again, setting off all his alarms just like they had before- _We should go back to the others. I injured myself back in the woods._ Pausing, Michael slowly brought up his hand to see it smeared with thick blood. It had obviously been going for a while, some bits were starting to become viscous as it dried. So why couldn’t he remember how he got it? Why did it feel like the memory was there but as soon as he tried to grasp it, it was whisked away. That didn’t matter now. They needed to get back to the others. He needed to get this taken care of.

“Too bad we didn’t find anything. But we should head back, I need to patch this up.”

Talking and moving finally seemed to snap Jeremy out of it; even now though his eyes looked feverish and kept flicking down to the others injury.

“Uh.. yeah. We should go.” Jeremy’s voice was thick, like he hadn’t used it in years. “But we never found a stick, I really wanted to shove it up Gavin’s ass.”

“Geoff would have loved that.”

“But now it’s getting dark and we didn’t achieve _shit_. This is bullshit.”

“Wait, we might as well take this chicken for Geoff. I don’t know where the hell he keeps getting these from or what the fuck he thinks he’s doing but at least he’ll be a little happier.”

“I already told you, he’s left his kingpin persona to go back to his Southern roots.”

“We’ve lost him. He’s simple farmer Geoff now.”

“Don’t let him hear you. He’s still got a finger he can stick up your ass.”

Michael walked over to pick up the normal looking chicken as they bantered. It didn’t even complain about being picked up, just nuzzled at his hands as they began to leave. The bird was plain by comparison to the first chicken Geoff had found, looking like an average pure white chicken. It wasn’t until Michael felt his fingers slip past feathers did he look down at it.

It was bone. The feathers were covering bone… And that had to be a rib cage and- _it’s a normal chicken. This is what chickens look like. Isn’t it cool?_

“Isn’t it cool Jeremy? Geoff is gonna lose it over this thing. I don’t think he has a bone chicken yet.”

“Maybe he’ll let us blow something up for it.” Jeremy’s grin split wide across his face as he considered the damage they could cause. The bodies they could drain. The blood he could be bathed in.

_What?_

* * *

 

“Go bother Ryan. I need to finish this weeding and I’ve already messed up a few times. Also why are you wearing _those?_ You knew we were coming out to the farm.”

Gavin glanced down at his legs and smirked before posing. “They’re _fashionable,_ Jackie bird. And Geoff said I couldn’t wear my shorts because my legs wouldn’t be protected. So these let me wear my shorts.” His legs glinted in the sun as his clear plastic pants reflected the light. Underneath them his low riding cutoff shorts were clearly visible along with the gold thong that he had pulled way too high, high enough for the straps to be visible above his scraps that passed for clothes. He smirked at the huff she returned, considering if he should continue and risk getting stabbed. Better not.

Ryan. Where could he find the man? Last time he had seen the murderer he was going off to one of the new buildings.

After wandering through the small storage room and root cellar, he went over to the barn, hoping to find him. After pushing open barn doors that were far heavier than any door had the right of being he spotted Ryan working on some machinery in the back.

“Ryan, don’t we have people to work on that kind of stuff, Ryan? What are you messing around with that thing for?” The older man was covered in grease from his efforts, in a way that somehow still looked stylish. Ryan always seemed to be tinkering with things in Gavin’s eyes, whether it be their weapons supply or computer hardware, the man never rested. He always needed to do something with his hands. And while Gavin couldn’t fault him -they all had their thing to keep them sane -the constant work annoyed the british lad. Especially when he always looked beautiful doing it. Bloody Ryan and his damn Adonis form. It wasn’t fair how he could terrify their enemies with a grin or his efficiency at slicing up the human skin. And somehow he still was perfection in human form the whole time.

“Well Gavin, we could hire someone to do this, or I can do it since this is _my_ generator. I’ve had this thing for a few years and I know how to take care of it for free.” Gavin scoffed as he continued, “Instead of hiring a technician to come in and possibly blab about the entire crew having a little dalliance out in the woods, I can get my hands dirty. And it’s one of the few ways I get my hands dirty that doesn’t involve extensive gore”

After a few moments the generator began to chug loudly, spewing black fumes out from a tall pipe. Gavin could smell the burning oil as it pervaded through the barn, the large open windows only lessening the stench minimally. All it could remind him of was the pollution from back home. All the cars creating such a thick fog you could barely breathe. And Ryan was going to fog up _their_ farm? What Jack had worked so hard to set up? Didn’t Ryan care at all?

“There we are. Once she’s fully working I’ll have her in the small shed so nothing catches on fire.” Ryan rubbed an oil slick rag over part of the metal casing before standing to stretch. He didn’t even notice the look of horror on Gavin’s face.

“ _Ryan_ , you can’t use one of those! Look at all the foggy pollution it’s making. We need to use that solar shite.”

“What? No, no Gavin. Who cares about that, it’s one generator. It’s not like I’m going to single-handedly cause global warming.”

“It’s still disgusting Ryan, you’re gonna tarnish our smegging forest.”

“You got a better idea there, Mr. Lorax? It’s this or no power.”

“Ryan, that’s not fair, Ryan.”

“Then you start work on that. And when you realise it won’t work I’ll be over here with my generator.”

Gavin stomped off to go back outside. To the _greenery_ that Ryan seemed so intent on murdering. He could stick to just murdering people but oh _no_ he had to go out and murder the trees as well. Destroy everything they loved like the bloody monster he was. A cruel man with no heart. Geoff and Jack were much better than dirty little Ryan. They interacted with nature. They soaked up the sunlight around them.

Just as we making himself comfortable a bit away from the rest to sunbathe, he heard some sort of commotion from the little farm. Michael and Jeremy were finally back it seemed.

“-what do you mean you have no idea what happened?”

“Exactly what I said, clean out your fucking ears Jack. We went out for a walk and I noticed my hand was bleeding.”

“But we got a chicken for Geoff! Look at it!”

Gavin walked closer as Geoff squealed and walked forward. The older man took the chicken from Jeremy before screeching and dropping the feathered animal like it burned him.

“I know chickens! That ain’t no chicken!”

Jeremy pouted and picked back up the chicken to brush over the feathers, “That’s not very nice Geoff.”

“That ain’t a chicken. I don’t know what hell you found, but that isn’t going to be with the rest of my chickens.”

Jack finally stepped in to look at the offending bird, running a hand down its back. Something did seem off but she couldn’t figure out what.

“Just like. Stick it in the pen off to the side. Make it its own space so they way they can’t fraternize with each other.” Michael took the chicken from Jeremy to unceremoniously dump it into the chicken pen, chuckling as they had to hold Geoff back as he screamed and struggled to leap in to pull the bird out.

Soon enough he calmed down and muttered to himself as he went off to sit in the shade. “This is some bullshit. People taking over my farm. I just want to go back to the city, at least y’all assholes listen to me a little more there.”

“Aw but Geoffrey, I just got some wonderful plans to do out here, I’m gonna be a solar queen. And that way smegging Ryan doesn’t choke us all out with his smegging generator.”

The day finished quietly, with Gavin rambling on as he wrote out plans for a solar farm and Jack quarantining Michael to the house so he wouldn’t hurt himself again.

And Jeremy kept staring at Ryan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I hope y'all enjoyed that! I know some of you were asking about if this was going to have magic and we finally have some here. As always, let you know what you think. I appreciate the feedback.

**Author's Note:**

> Most chapters will hopefully be longer than this since this is more of a prologue. I'm not sure how often I'll be updating since I have that lovely busy college student life. But all comments are gladly accepted.


End file.
